The Blacktail Cribo is a species of large colubrid snake native to Central America. They are very distinctive in appearance, with a golden-brown head and body that transitions to black in the bottom third of their body.
While they are generally a docile species, they are very aggressive eaters so can be a bit intimidating to first time reptile keepers who are nervous about getting bitten.
Blacktail Cribo Description
The Blacktail Cribo is a large colubrid that can grow to a length of 6-7 feet. The top half of the snake is a different color to the bottom half which is what gives these snakes their distinctive appearance.
The top half of the snake is an olive green/brown color which darkens towards the bottom third of the snake. This final third of the snake’s body is black in color, hence their name.
The bellow of the snake is an off yellow or tan color. They also have distinct marking around their eyes which take the form of vertical black stripes on both the upper and lower jaw.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Blacktail Cribo can be found throughout the East and West coasts of Mexico. However, they are not found in the desert regions of central Mexico. Their range extends into North Texas, as far North as San Antonio.
They can be found throughout Central America in countries such as Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Their range also extends into South America in countries such as Colombia and Ecuador.
It shares part of its range with species such as the Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula, the Curly Hair Tarantula, the Yellow Spotted Lizard and the Central American Banded Gecko.
Feeding a Blacktail Cribo
The Blacktail Cribo is generally a very aggressive eater. Unlike many other Colubrids, Pythons or Boas, they do not constrict their prey. Instead the use their powerful jaws to crush their prey, often slamming the prey against the enclosure walls.
In the wild, these snakes will eat a very varied diet, consuming almost anything it can overpower and fit in its mouth. You can feed these snakes a varied diet of mice, rats, chicks, quail and fish.
Alternatively, you can keep them on a steady diet of rodents. We recommend keeping the meals on the smaller size and feeding every 5 days or so. This will allow the snake to remain active while digesting their meal.
You should use a feeding thongs as the Blacktail Cribo is a very active snake and can be aggressive when it smells food. It’s not uncommon for these snakes to lunge out of their enclosure once the doors open.
Despite their aggressive feeding response, it is not uncommon for these snakes to go off food during the winter months. This is a natural instinct of many species of snake and nothing to be concerned about as long as the snake is healthy.
Blacktail Cribo Housing
As the Blacktail Cribo is an active snake, they will need a large enclosure. You should look to house an adult in an enclosure measuring at least 6ft x 2ft x 2ft. You may even need to go bigger for a large, active snake.
Hatchlings and juveniles should be kept in much smaller enclosures. Smaller snakes are less active and will spend more of their time in hiding. This is their natural instinct to avoid predators.
A plastic tub or small enclosure is ideal for hatchlings. As the baby Blacktail Cribo grows, you can increase the size of the enclosure to suit. When they reach a reasonable size and become more active, you can transfer them to their adult enclosure.
Light and Heat
The Blacktail Cribo likes a hot spot of around 87F. The ambient temperature in the enclosure can drop to around 70-75F. This will generally fluctuate naturally with the seasons, but you should aim for around this range.
You can use an overhead heat source or under tank heat mat to provide the heat for your snake. It really comes down to personal preference and cage design. However, whatever heat source you choose, make sure it is connected to a good quality thermostat.
A thermostat is vital to ensure the temperatures in the enclosure are correct and there is no drastic rise or fall which can be lethal for the snake.
You do not need any special lighting for your Blacktail Cribo. However, if you do choose to use lighting in the enclosure it is important to ensure it is turned off at night. This will ensure that your snake is exposed to an adequate day/night cycle.
Substrate
While not aesthetically pleasing, newspaper or paper towel is probably the best substrate you can use for these snakes. The Blacktail Cribo has a fast metabolism so you will need to clean regularly.
You can use other common substrates such as Aspen Bedding or Cypress Mulch if you want but you will need to clean and change this far more regularly than you would with other species of snake.
A relative amount of humidity is important for these snakes so you should lightly mist the substrate daily or include a moist hide box in their enclosure.
Handling a Blacktail Cribo
The Blacktail Cribo isn’t an aggressive snake but they do have an aggressive feeding response. You should avoid handling them if you have been feeding other snakes in the room as they will smell the food.
Most bites from these snakes are due to a feeding response as opposed to a defensive bite. Therefore, your chances of getting bit can be reduced by using a snake hook to remove the snake from its enclosure.
The Blacktail Cribo can be an intimidating snake for a beginner reptile keeper as they are very fast moving, active snakes. However, they do tend to relax a bit with regular handling.